A Collection
by Temari08
Summary: This will eventually become a compilation of oneshots and such concerning Team Seven. The third section is up. Stories range from SasuSaku to KakaSaku to NaruSakuSasu pairings, depending on how you look at it.
1. Infidelity

Hi there! I took some time off my KakaSaku story to write a SasuSaku one, because I honestly love both pairings. This is the first story in a line of one-shots I eventually plan to write. Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as well as suggestions for future stories.

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Infidelity

A lifetime passes, and suddenly I am alone. The village sleeps safely that night, when news transpires that Orochimaru and Akatsuki no longer exist. But I can find no solace in sleep, because I witness it all, alongside Naruto and Kakashi. Konoha doesn't see the last remaining descendants of the Uchiha clan and the fight that ensues from their untimely reunion.

The battle lasts no longer than half an hour, and damage is substantial for both parties, but Uchiha Itachi is the first to fall. There at the edge of the waterfalls, Sasuke stands, bloodied kunai still wrapped in his hand and eyes staring up at the sky.

His own blood soaks through his clothing until he is a pinnacle of crimson in a sea of blue. His ashy eyes glaze over with a haze I know too well. His body falls limp with the weight of his limbs as he gives up the struggle to mold chakra and plunges into the waters beneath him.

He shouldn't survive the fall.

He should be dead.

Four search parties, three months, and my own two eyes confirm what should be. There is no trace. No trails to follow that lead to him. So I follow the path back to Konoha.

* * *

Sixth months pass, and suddenly I am no longer capable of making my own decisions. My mother and half the village waste no second in telling me it's time to move on. Even Tsunade conspires against me, setting me up on blind dates that seem to fizzle out before we even reach our evening destination. 

Then Ino drags me out to a party one evening. The kind I don't want to be at and have no use for. By the time we arrive, the majority of the group is already well on its way to inebriation. I'm glad they can drink away their troubles so easily.

Somehow I manage to sneak away to the quiet of the backyard. He's sitting there, against the base of the nearest tree, staring up at the stars. I find myself sitting beside him, leaning against his arm, my head resting on his shoulder, my eyes brimming with tears I've held onto for so long.

Only he can understand. He's Naruto, after all.

I let him put his arm around me and lead me down the empty street. I know he's had a crush on me for years. We pass several people, but that is inconsequential at the moment. He's not taking me home because I begged him not to. That would mean facing my mother, something I'm not prepared for.

He's taking me to his apartment on the other side of town.

It isn't supposed to mean anything. A few words are exchanged, but maybe that's why my being in his room means something more.

So he leaves the door open. He probably worries that he'll scare me away. Naruto is always thoughtful in that respect.

I am not surprised to find his hand at my waist, pulling me closer. I don't fight it as he kisses me; I simply keep my eyes averted from his. Would it be wrong to tell him that I wish his hair weren't so blonde and his eyes weren't so blue?

His fingers race up and down my flesh, but their warmth evaporates the moment they move on. It's all so rushed. He is sloppy and inexperienced, but ever so gentle. It's his first time. He's not alone in that regard.

In the morning I wake up in his bed. His arm rests around my torso; his face nestles into the curve of my neck. His lips are pressing against the skin. He wants more.

He wants me to move in with him. Everyone thinks I should. So I do. He wants me to marry him. Everyone says I should. So I do. I paint a smile on my face and play my role. It's easier that way.

* * *

A year passes, and suddenly I am responsible for restoring the Uzumaki clan. The village watches and waits, holding its breath. 

Everyone knows I haven't been on birth control in months. That's what happens when your husband is about to become the next Hokage.

Everyone forgets that I am the most skilled medic-nin in the village. I won't get pregnant because I won't allow it. That's what happens when you have flawless chakra control.

It's our first anniversary. Naruto is buying me flowers and taking me out to dinner. He's being romantic. The phone rings right before we walk out the door. Naruto answers it jovially; he's thinking about tonight.

The reckless grin on his face slowly dissipates into a solemn frown. I can hear the voice on the other end of the line. It must be Tsunade.

He hangs up the phone and leaves the house. When he returns, he looks at me in the oddest way, as if he's seen a ghost. It takes me half an hour to get a word out of him; a name. All he can say is Sasuke. He has seen a ghost.

This certainly kills the mood.

I guess I am just as surprised as everyone else when he receives a pardon from the Hokage herself. By some divine power Tsunade decides that Uchiha Sasuke, former missing-nin and traitor of Konoha, is worthy of a reprieve for his actions several years ago.

Maybe she is getting soft in her old age, or maybe she feels it is justly deserved. After all, he only helped to bring down two of Konoha's deadliest enemies.

* * *

A day passes, and suddenly I am no longer trustworthy. I am restricted from a certain section of town, particularly the street where a certain man lives. Naruto worries about me and the fact that Sasuke has returned. 

He's been back in the village nearly a month before I even dare to meet his eyes on the crowded streets. Doing so is a total disregard of the warnings everyone seems so eager to press upon me and everything I worked so hard to forget.

His charcoal eyes smolder at me from beneath black bangs as he leans indifferently against the old building across the street. He's always dressed in white.

I've been through years of wondering, worrying, hoping, praying, and all he can do is stare. But where is the anger and hurt I should feel? That I _had_ felt for the last three years?

I admit that I want to run out to him on that crowded intersection and slap him senseless, but once I reach him will I still feel the same?

Or will my resolve crumble under the nearness and physical contact, until my pounding fists are no longer fists but trembling hands wrapping around his tattered body?

So I let him stare. My eyes flicker in his direction. The action is subtle and inconspicuous to others, but he notices it all the same. I want him to notice.

I make it a habit to walk through the market on a daily basis. I always know when he's watching me because I can feel it. I play the game of glances with him again and again. No one seems to notice.

* * *

Two weeks pass, and suddenly I am the wife of the Hokage. Naruto is officially sworn in as the Rokudaime that morning. Everyone is so proud. 

There is a celebratory festival scheduled for the summer evening. The village has been planning the event for weeks. Naruto hires a professional stylist to dress me for the occasion. The Hokage's wife must look the part.

I emerge from the bedroom two hours later. I've been staring at myself for the last twenty minutes. I'm not used to being so dolled up. I remove most of the makeup from my face before I let Naruto see me. He's stunned nonetheless.

It seems crimson is the theme of my kimono. It suits me well enough. I'm rather fond of the gold and silver swirls in the obi. My hair is drawn up and cascades in a pink mass of rose curls.

The official ceremonies end just after the sunset. The sky is a pallet of colors, the black of night quickly overpowering the remainders of day.

Naruto takes my hand and leads me down the steps of the platform where he's been speaking for the last ten minutes. We submerse ourselves into the throng of people on the sidewalk. A crowd is waiting for Naruto.

I let my hand accidentally loosen itself from his. He's been surrounded before he can turn back to find me. I blend into the flamboyant background of bright kimono and yukata. He looks only slightly disappointed.

Paper lanterns and stars guide me through the congested avenues. There are food stands and game booths on every side. Everyone is happy and smiling. Everyone is much too busy to notice the Hokage's wife walking alone.

I feel his gaze before I see him. He is the only one who would notice. Sasuke is not everyone.

Onyx eyes follow after me as I continue strolling on the left side of the street. He's walking on the right. My feet steer me to the village square as I pursue the source of the music I hear. The song is instrumental. People are dancing.

Sasuke is standing behind me before I can turn back to find him. He's only an inch or so away. I can feel his breath against my ear. It makes me shiver in the summer heat. It's intoxicating.

Tonight, there is a change in his wardrobe. He is dressed in sweeping robes of black. His face is a bit leaner than it used to be. That doesn't matter, though. He's still attractive.

The band strikes off once more as he takes my arm and leads me to the center of the dancers. It's a slow dance, so we dance slowly.

But my world is still spinning. The people around us become blurs in the dim lighting; their whispers are part of the song. Lovers' words and tender chants that can never be meant for us. We are outcasts in this sense. The music ends.

I let him slip out of my grasp and follow several paces behind him as he leads me down the crowded streets. He knows I loved him years ago. We pass everyone, but that is inconsequential at the moment. He's not taking me home because I did not ask him to. That would mean speaking to him, something I'm not allowed to do.

He's taking me to his apartment on the other side of town.

It isn't supposed to mean anything. Silent glances are exchanged, but maybe that's why my being in his room means something more.

So he closes the door. He's not worried that he'll scare me away. Sasuke is always confident in that respect.

I am surprised to find his hand at the small of my back, pulling me closer. I don't fight it as he kisses me; I simply lean in to the kiss. Would it be wrong to tell him that I'm glad his hair is midnight blue and his eyes are pitch black?

His fingers stroke and caress my flesh, but their warmth is a scorching sensation that lasts long after they are gone. It's all so deliberate. He is careful and methodical, and ever so thorough. I can tell it's not his first time. He's not alone in that regard.

In the morning I wake up in his bed. His arm is beneath his head; his face nestles into the curve of his pillow. His lips are pressing against the air. He wants nothing.

I stand up, my skin bare and naked in the early morning light. His eyes are watching me, always watching me. I find my kimono in a crumpled pile on the floor. It's finally starting to resemble its owner.

He helps me wrap the wrinkled obi around my waist. His nimble fingers brush through my tangled hair. I run my fingers through his. Somehow I manage to lose my kimono once more. He has to help me rewrap the obi an hour later.

I creep through the front door. The house is silent. I tread softly through the hallway and reach our bedroom door. It's always open. Naruto lies curled up on his side of the bed, asleep. I leave him there and head to the bathroom to take a shower. I try to wash Sasuke out of my skin. I'm only slightly worried that Naruto will notice it.

I emerge from fragrances of lavender and the likes, but his scent still lingers. Or maybe I'm being paranoid. I crawl into bed and turn my back to my husband.

He wakes up some time later. He doesn't bother to kiss me good morning. Instead, he just gets up and heads for the bathroom. He spots my kimono beside the door, but says nothing. He goes out for the rest of the day.

It's a week before he'll even touch me.

* * *

Three months pass, and suddenly I am cheating on the most powerful man in five nations. This is a secret. I also happen to be pregnant. This is not a secret. 

I've been with Sasuke three times totaled. I make sure it's always during the days when Naruto is out of town. Naruto doesn't notice, or acts like he doesn't. He is excited about the baby. But he's not the father. There will be no blonde hair or blue eyes.

I knew I was pregnant a month before I confirmed it with the doctor. I'm the most skilled medic-nin in Konoha. I don't need a doctor to tell me that.

I give birth to a baby girl several months later. I name her Aika and write it in hiragana instead of kanji. The meaning is obscured that way. Naruto thinks I named her this because it includes 'ai' for love, but that is only half the truth. When written in another fashion, Aika is a dirge or sad song. This suits her very well. She is my secret lament.

Her hair is pitch black and spikes out in tufts. Naruto acts indifferently to it. He treats her like his own daughter. People are surprised by the dark hair. It's because they don't pay enough attention to their surroundings. Maybe they would have seen the skilled medic-nin and her unhappiness.

Her eyes are reminiscent of my own, two sad emeralds shining up at me. I see the truth in her gaze. She knows everything. She is my indelible sin.

Time passes, and my affair grows. People are finally becoming suspicious.

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Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcomed! 


	2. Deception

Okay! I decided to do a little KakaSaku for this one. It is no where near as long as the last one, but oh well... It seems lately I've been into more scandalous relationships, so I just want to remind everyone of the apparent age difference between Kakashi and Sakura. My next major KakaSaku fic is epsecially going to deal with such things.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I've posted responses at the bottom :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Deception

A man lies curled up in my bed. He's the last thing I see at night and the first thing I wake up to in the morning, but this is the only time I've ever actually watched him truly sleeping.

One arm protects his dreaming eyes from the dawn's sunlight, while the other dangles haphazardly off the side of the mattress. Pale sheets drape along his body, and he looks somewhat out of place in my room. A small orange book lays flat on his chest. His mouth droops open ever so slightly, letting his breath escape in small and gentle sighs.

He will probably be angry when he wakes up to find I've removed his black mask again. I will probably just smile and laugh. He's beautiful when he's mad.

We've only been doing this for the last six months. It wasn't planned or expected; it just happened. He came home one night from a mission and knocked on my door. He'd been reminded of someone from his past, and the man who never hesitates had indeed faltered.

I invited him in for tea. He ended up staying the night.

Rain stains the windows, washing away the traces of the morning mist. Thick droplets streak down the clouded glass, leaving stains of the outside world behind. I consider going out there for a moment, wishing that everything could be washed away so simply.

How much water would it take to drown the whispers out of my ears? To erase the appalled faces from my vision? To heal the cuts their glaring eyes have etched into my skin?

I know what everyone's been saying; the rumors that have spread like wildfire through the village. I hear them everyday as I make my way down the street.

_She's only sixteen years old. If she weren't a ninja, then she would be considered a minor. That pervert is pushing thirty. He used to be her teacher._ They continue to churn out useless facts I already know.

I'm well aware of the age difference. The faintest hints of laugh lines have started on his cheeks, and the wrinkles on his furrowed brow just won't seem to fade anymore. His body is bruised and battered, telling the story of his life in nicks and scars. His hair has always been silver, but here in the morning light I see a strand or two that surely must be turning gray. It's not the first time, though; I've noticed this before.

Meanwhile, my skin is still firm. My flesh remains unmarred. My hair is forever pink like the cherry blossoms in the spring.

That is what everyone sees, the fact that he is old and I am young. But who are they to judge? They do not know everything.

We are not so different anymore. He has lost everyone before; I have lost someone before. He's killed a hundred enemies without a second thought; I killed one for the first time last year and broke down into tears the minute I got home. I'm not looking at numbers, however. One is enough to taint you. I am no longer an innocent child.

So I've learned to ignore the remarks and stares when we take walks; or when I invite him in for the evening, even though he's been here before. I look past the fact that he's getting wrinkles just as he looks past my childishly pink hair.

He tries to be tender and gentle, and that's enough for me. There isn't any taking advantage or manipulating of what this relationship is. It's hardly perfect. Everything balances on one thin string, but I prefer to not think about when it will snap. Frailty makes it that much more beautiful and precious. It's not companionship. It isn't even a love affair. It just _is_.

We close the door on the world and try to heal our respective wounds in peace. An assassin's death grip becomes a lover's embrace, and a girl's affection blossoms into a woman's love. He feels younger; I feel older. We've learned to compensate for fourteen years.

Age is just another deception.

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Thanks again for reading! Reviews are welcomed! As promised, here are the responses!

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Kawaii Koneko92 : I take it that you liked it :-) 

emir : Thanks for pointing that out! I couldn't believe I let those slip by me when I posted this. Already taken care of, hehe.

armed and dangerous : I know what you mean. I didn't plan for Sakura to appear that way though. Then again, you know thatsomething like this would so happenSasuke showed back up. Thanks!

allyluv : I'm glad I was able to have that effect on you lol. I always enjoy reading your reviews .

Jess : I'm working on more Sasusaku : ) I don't know when I'll get it finished though. I have summer AP homework, and it's taking forever to finish! Updates coming a.s.a.p., though!

roomfishing : I thought the paralleling of experiences would be a nice touch, hehe. I felt so bad for everyone, too. When I was writing it, though, I decided I would not make it a happy ending, even though those are my favorit kinds :)

lady flay : Thanks. Reading these reviews always make me want to blush, lol.

myworld101 : I thought about it! Maybe I'll write one from Sasuke and Sakura's daughter's perspective, like she doesn't quite realize he's her father or something to that effect, hehe.

ms-thang : lol, thanks for signing up for all my alerts! You're my kind of reviewer, hehe .


	3. Comprehension

Comprehension

There's a girl who waits in Konoha. Pink hair and starry-eyed and all the things that he should have wanted. But he does not want her, or, at least, cannot want her at the time. He stole away in the night and abandoned her at the village's end with a simple _thank you_ before he knocked her out. It's not her threat to tell on him, but her very existence that could have stopped him in his tracks altogether.

One more word might have done it. He knows this; but he's smart and calculating and understands the importance of his ambition must come before all else. There's a man who haunts his thoughts each day and devours his soul at night. He thinks his revenge will be his salvation. It's only now that he starts to understand he left salvation out in the cold on the last bench in Konoha.

* * *

There's a girl who waits in Konoha. Pink hair and starry-eyed and all the things that he has always wanted. And he wants her more than anything else because he can't have her, or, at least, she won't have him. He disappeared in broad daylight and left her at the village gates with a grin and a promise that he intends to keep. It's not the smile that lights up her face, but the tears trailing down that gave him the strength to go. 

He doesn't know it, but he's sweet and never backs out on his promises and he never wants to see her sad again. There's a boy he must bring back for her sake. He hopes that his determination will prove his love for her. Some day he'll realize that it only made her love that boy even more.

* * *

There's a girl who waits in Konoha. Pink hair and starry-eyed and all the things that make her beautiful. And she wants a boy who lost his way and vanished for three years without so much as a goodbye. She learns her lessons and works so hard; like the other boy that she cannot love, she believes that she can bring _him_ back. She smiles for the world and looks forward because he always was the one to walk ahead of her. It's not the fear of the past that's keeps her gaze where he should be walking, but the fear that she will miss seeing him if she looks back behind her. 

She's in love with someone who needs his revenge more than he needs her, or so she thinks. She's intelligent and knows the odds, but she's also young and sometimes fails to remember to take other factors into consideration. She assumes that his revenge is all he has left in the world, but forgets to count herself into the equation. If they meet again and she doesn't ask and he doesn't say, then she may never realize that she's the one thing that keeps him wishing he had changed his mind.

* * *

This was just a little something I typed up after I thought about the "Ring Around The Rosy" song. I figured it would be a good little way to introduce myself into writing again as life settles down just a bit. I know; it's very short (only about 500 words), and I'm just a little ashamed. 

Anyway, thanks for reading. All comments are welcomed. I think the _A Collection _will end up being a fanfiction compilation for Team 7.


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